Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1887-06-21
MISCELLANEOUS.
The PhiIosophy of SUCCESS.

From the June Auction Trade Journal of c. B.
Rouss, 4Gj Broadway. New York.
To the thousands who are standing
still or drifting idly down the tide of
time, trusting to some unknown, un-
seen, unfelt power from somewhere
above to avert inevitable and impend-
ing destruction-to change disaster
into prosperity-to all merchants who
are not forging on from victory to
still greater triumphs, this writer
would press the invitation, and if you
think the outlay too great to come on
to this metropolis in order to get
fairly and squarely started right, then
go at once to our nearest battlefield,
and in one: hour you will learn hoU
aud ,Uhy the omnipotent BULLION, clear
across the Continent, is driving to-
ward sundown, into the Pacific, the
monstrous mercantile .mastodon of
thirty days, four months and stretch
ing away out into eternity.
Will you stop and heed, or drive on
with the death song, son with the
dance?" .., ...-.. ....-...... ..
Just as you say. ftis your history,
not OURS, that has not yet been fairly
and fully written. and if you have
faith in our ability and integrity, and
will trust US, tce scM cdrVe your name
o,cdy up there. ....
But for the temptations and allure
ments, and the death sting of the
credit scorpion, the historic name of
PEAKE and LATHRor and AITKIN and
CARRICK and EMORY and OpDYCKE
and Evan p. THOMAS would still hon
or and adorn the great thoroughfare
of the worlds metropolis.
Upon the very ground of 466iand 46S
there stood, eleven years ago, agreat
concern with unlimited capital and
credit-CocHRAN, MCLEAN'& Co. 1t
was the same year we opened our
cash batteries in Church Street
They were rated n million and up
ward, zoe tCere simply blank, aCithOut q
name or a nichle;; their capital was on
the Devils Dream Book (ruE LEDGEn).
Our million was in cold, savage, per-
sistent pluck; THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR
swept our little craft up and on, year
after year, until we now stand upon
the identical historic spot whence the
merciless credit monster had hurled
them beyond the. shadow of oblivion
into annihilation.
What volumes the first and second
hand drummers of second and third
rate markets could tell of their tus-
sles with their brother toughs, and
dealers brainless and penniless, with
the alert, the sharper and the % dead
in the SHE'LL" until they struck the
hard, solid, rock bottom of the AUC-
TIOX TRADE JOURNAL. 1t was no
"Greek meet Creek" but simply,
absolute, undisguised puIverism.-
He was gone-even the GREAT MAS
TER never knew where.
KOHL of TYRONE wrote: "I used to
buy of drummers on n1y o,cn terms :
one day the U. S. Mail laid upon my
desk your circular; the sentence that
staggered me ran about this fashion ::
- This pioneer Of spot cash trdUeLs all
orer the Continent for ONE SINGLE PEN
NY and then quotes solid auction sledge
hammers at five per cent. advance
upon the knock down figure of the
auctioneer. The mercantile swamp
angel pays the sleeper car fare with
his half dozen trunks the concern
that employs him allows five dollars
n day for expenses and bluegrass,
pays him six per cent. and small
fixed salary besides. Who pays the
outrageous stipend, and what aCie'e-
dtCdke dealers can afford to wade in
when the terrific percentage means
absolute ruin ninety-six out of hum
dred? Driven to despair by King
Credit and the unmerited calamities
of his twin barbarian brother copdrt-
nership, and inspired by the ringing
logic of cash on -deltvery, L quit my
native place, leaving behind my ledg-
erS and my friends. One thousand
was all could raise, and with this,
under the iron rule of t,reHty-fve per
cent, we now run FIVE hundred a
week, as much as we used to sell on
credit when our capital was six thou
sand. l have no slate, no book, and
nobody asks for credit"
Merchants who think they have
mastered mercantile arithmetic may
W CIl lSh IL IL hOuIu I1Ot Ut
sure investment to spend an hour
or two of time and little car fare
aud learn from the Pennsylvania
thunderboIt-the first giant jumps to-
Icdrd the top-whether it would not
pay to visit 1" North and South Caro-
lima Davis, at Charlotte and Column
bia, who adopted the. tactix of tile
great ot,rard Of the rebellion, STONE
WALL JxcKsoT, and fanked the
masked batteries of unlimited time.
Mercantile champions about rneasur-
ing swords with fate, before jumping
blind and headlong into tie arena
with their first start and stock imam
bition, coin and ability-ought firstto
stop and look square in the teeth tie
frightful, measnreless odds in charg-
ing down the deadly gauntlet; spend